Biden: US won’t stop Israel attack on Iran
Published: July 5, 2009
Updated 4 months ago
UPDATE
A controversy is brewing in Israel over whether Saudi Arabia has tacitly agreed to allow Israel to use its airspace in any potential future attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
A report in the Jerusalem Post cites an article in the UK’s Sunday Times that “the head of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Iran’s nuclear sites.”
The Israeli press has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, held meetings with Saudi colleagues. The reports were denied by Saudi officials.
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper is reporting that the Israeli prime minister’s office denies the allegation.
ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Vice-President Joe Biden told ABC’s This Week on Sunday that the US wouldn’t stand in the way of Israel if they decided Iran was an existential threat.
Speaking to host George Stephanopoulos from Camp Victory in Iraq, Biden told ABC that “we cannot dictate to another soveriegn nation … if they make the decision they are existentially threatened.”
Asked by Stephanopoulos about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that he will give international peace efforts with Iran only until the end of the year to work, Biden insisted the US would not second-guess any decisions Israel makes regarding Iran.
“Israel can determine for itself — it’s a sovereign nation — what’s in their interest, and what they do with Iran or anything else,” said Biden.
Asked if the US would stand in the way of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Biden evaded the question.
This video is from ABC’s This Week, broadcast July 5, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
38 comments
Printer Friendly |
Email
| Get breaking news alerts: Email/mobile |
disgusting and shameful.
Is anyone else starting to think that Iran and the rest of the Arabs are nothing but “paper tiger’s” ?
Israel defeated all the Arab states in 1967 when they had the full backing and arsenal of the Soviet Union.
Remember the FEARS of Saddam’s Soviet Tanks that were going to greet us in 1991?
And the Soviets are working with the Israelis now!! Avignor Lieberman, the Israeli Condaleeza Rice,is a RUSSIAN immigrant.
No one wins elections in Israel without the Russian Jews vote.
BTW all that jib jab about how smart the Persian Iranians are….all the smart ones moved HERE! They work at YOUR pharmacy and live in PEACE.
Yeah, I wouldn’t stop a hobo from cutting Biden from ear to ear with a rusty tin can and shoving his body into a wood chipper, either.
Dick-waving, supporting violence, and seeking out more: THE AMERICAN WAY!!!
What unmitigated buffonery!
Biden appears to be someone who would best serve americaby keeping his arrogant mouth shut.
There’s a social revolution occuring in Iran; and this is not the moment to be helping the hardline clerics who claim that the protesters and reformers are ‘traitors’ by making statements that virtually give a greenlight to Israel dragging us into a war with Iran.
What unmitigated buffoonery!
Vice Pres Joe Biden seems to be someone who would best help foreign policy by keeping his clumsy arrogant mouth shut.
How in the world does he think he’s helping by making such statements?
Iran is right now going through an intense social revolution… you have reformers and protesters being threatened with trial and being denounced by hardliners as ‘traitors’ for “aiding foreign enemies of Iran”.
Then comes Biden along making statements that in a sense gives Israel a virtual greenlight to go attack Iran, and in so doing, dragging us along into war with Iran.
How the hell does this man manage to dress himself each morning without help?
Buffon is a good adjective for Biden, I can’t believe BO supposedly picked him for his extensive foreign policy experience. What else this story says is that the other muslim countries in the area don’t want iran to have the bomb either.
other countries of opposing religious faction
it all comes back to that poison called religion..
Actually this statement says alot, it says that the “social revolution” failed. And I’m starting to think that this may have been backed by the west and that is why the hard stance from Biden via the Whitehouse. If the revolution was still going they wouldn’t have said what was said today. By saying what he did, he pretty much said they failed to overthrow the Iranian govt..
No doubt we’ve been monkeying around there. It was in numerous articles several years in a row about ‘operations inside iranian territory’. And as much I’ve hated american interference in about 90% of the places we’ve been… I just don’t feel this is one case where it can all be blamed on the US. That really doesn’t give the average iranian much credit.
Our involvement is pretty much irrelevant and should remain so.
Would you want to live under a theocracy like the iranian one?
Somehow I sort of doubt it.
Actually we do live under a Theocracy, it’s based on Christian faith. Why don’t we allow gays to get married, it’s their business they just want to have the same rights as a Hetero couple. But the excuses against are based on GOD SAID MARRIAGE IS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN. What about abortion, people have their beliefs but it’s the woman’s body. But anti-abortionists say it goes against god in the taking of a life, etc. etc.. And then our leaders saying that their faith (Bush, Obama and many others) saying that it helped them in making decisions.
The only difference between the US and Iran is that we don’t wear turbans. We are a country of religious zealots. We don’t go after anti-abortion groups and killers as terrorists because in a nutshell their our “terrorists” and we may agree with their belief. Here’s something that you must understand if nothing else, we are an empire rightly or wrongly. And with all empires sooner or later they lose their luster and start to implode (ex. Britian, Roman etc.). Britian used to have the comment that the sun never set on their empire, and it didn’t But they overextended themselves both militarily and economically to the point that they weakened themselves.
And remember, China and Russia and India and Brazil (BRIC countries) are looking to the future and wanting to move the seat of power and finance from the US.
“we cannot dictate to another soveriegn nation …”
Sure we can.. We do it all the time.
Just tell them to SEND BACK THE MONEY, Joe!
I’m afraid the world has determined that the US of A is without moral authority. Hubris and sanctimony are what define us.
Pre-emptive war is always OK for those on “our” side. Thanks, Joe, for shoring up this odious Bush Doctrine. Just you keep on making the UN irrelevant for dealing with true threats, a self-fulfilling prophecy.
can’t wait for the destruction of isreal
Besides all the arrogant, hypocritical hogwash…is that really a call Biden can make?
Israel will go it alone and they do have 150 Nuclear Weapons to use. Plus they have the illegal weapons the Bush Administration gave them. Look Israel knows if they bomb Iran it will be a pre emptive attack with lies just like the US did with Iraq. Yes the Saudi’s know how dumb Israel is and will be the winner in the end just like they were with the illegal invasion the US did to Iraq. Smart Leaders love dealing with dumb Leaders like Bush and Israel. Once again the Middle East will be laughing all the way to the bank. President Obama is wise to let Israel invade on their own and stay out of it. Look for Israel to use the Bush Policy as their excuse when their charged with War Crimes. Why not the United Nations did nothing when the Bush Administration committed War Crimes by killing thousands of innocent Iraq people based on lies.
Biden & Megaphone:
Israel is Master of the Universe!
I agree with Biden. Would you want another country to decide whether we have the right to defend ourselves?
The zionist pigs are running out of water. The hope is , will they run out of bullets first?
I love it when these professional gum flappers talk about the difference between US and Israeli policy; as if they were two different, discreet manifestations of policy.
anti zionist and proud of it
Israel: a terrorist state just like the rest of the middle east.
#1: They’re no more a “sovereign” nation than is, say, So. Dakota… and everyone in the Middle East knows it. Israel attacks Iran and our fleet will be a reef in the Persian Gulf in one hour, Iraq will explode and US troops will be fighting their way to Kurdistan like the Retreat of the 10 Thousand. #2: As always, the real threat is to the Anglo-American Bankers… Iran won’t allow them to destroy their currency (as they are doing to ours), and they’re threatening to open a Euro-based oil bourse, a disaster for our pathetic, empty AmBuck. #3: The crazy Israelis (and there are decent ones like Ezra Nawi and peace groups who want justice for Palestinians) control the gov. and, like their crazy American evangelical allies, can’t distinguish between Biblical parables and reality. They don’t want peace, they want a fantasy called “Greater Israel”… all the way to the banks of the Euphrates River, the Kingdom of Solomon (who is a myth, by the way).
youre right, if israel is ‘existentially threatened’ we should force them to lay down and be obliterated… that makes so much more sense. also, if america is attacked, let it be completely destroyed, we should be pacifists and no fight back. down with all jews, and all western society. we should live in a planet of ununified ararchy and stateless nothingness.
you guys arent liberals, dont you see you are so far gone you are the new right wing? you are the fundamentalists leftists, typical waste of space, internet conspiracy theory filled reductionists. i suppose its to be expected, the internet gives free range for losers to congregate, but how on earth do you read the news off rawstory and somehow conclude by tossing down comments that are so blatantly anti-western, anti-jewish, anti-israel, anti-liberal and anti-democrats hogwash. somehow you people think you are entitled to force everyone in the west to live by some new set of rules that you created foregoing all realities and complexities.
i waste my time writing, youll read this and then go back to bashing israel, democrats, progressives, intellectuals, and any other force you perceive as threatening.
you are the new right wing, you are the new fundamentalists. your thought processes are the same. good riddance.
it’s interesting that when facts are stated about Israel’s abuses on their neighbors, it becomes a statement from a “right-winger”, even if it’s a neo, or new breed, as you call it. (i’ve not read the true “bashing” in this thread, I’ve learned to ignore the psychos here, but that doesn’t remove valid criticisms).
Israel has been stirring the hive for decades. Most of the problems they have now they brought on themselves, and they did it because we gave them the power to do it (like $10 BILLION in aid again this year). We fund their abuses on their neighbors.. if they are “threatened”, it’s because they are bad neighbors.
Do we “stand back and let them be obliterated”? If they are intentionally causing trouble, YES. we do. .. that’s called tough love; it’s hard, but required. And that is also a “liberal” understanding. You can’t coddle your children forever or they never learn to stand on their own.. and Israel has been too protected for too long, and we’re not talking about children any more, we’re talking about full grown adults who chose to abuse their neighbors. They need to live with the consequences.
If Israel attacks Iran, that is the end of Israel. So please, Israel, go ahead, tough guys, and get your nation destroyed.
Israel gets no more money and aid from the US than Egypt or Saudi Arabia. That’s two to one for the Arabs.
The first responsibility of any government is to protect its’ citizens. Every government makes that determination, and anybody outside is just that, outside.
One thing Israel won’t do, is determine its’ national priorities according to the cretins who spread their race hatred on this page.
And if you can’t wait for the destruction of Israel, it would help if you could spell it.
The US won’t stand in Israel’s way if they’re “existentially threatened.”
Well hell, that’s all the Zionist warmongers talk about.
They may as well get started with the genocide now, which by the way, will be far worse than the holocaust or the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Fuck it, quit talking about ! Apocalypse now, you murderous assholes.
You guys have lost your minds. You sound like f-’n neo-cons. Slow down and try some anger management.
Panskeptic:
“Israel gets no more money and aid from the US than Egypt or Saudi Arabia. That’s two to one for the Arabs.”
Huh, I hadn’t heard we shipped 200 containers of weapons to the Palestinians before they invaded the Gaza strip……and then used them committed War Crimes against Israeli civilian targets. Like White Phosphorus. My bad.
You, of course, should be so proud to defend these belligerent invaders and occupiers. Good on ya.
“The first responsibility of any government is to protect its’ citizens.” No, it is not. In the case of the US, the government’s sole function is to protect the Constitution and the citizens rights. Period. Regardless of hysterical propagandists attempting to get the citizens to give up those rights in exchange for “safety.”
“Every government makes that determination, and anybody outside is just that, outside.” Adolf would be so proud.
Problem is, this country, Israel, likes to cry “wolf wolf” when sheep are at it’s borders. And wants us to do the invading whenever they can create enough false outrage.
But, now that the fake “election” disputes/protests, paid for by the US CIA and Israel’s MOSSAD, failed miserably. And now they are moving to “Plan B.” Which panskeptic is demonstrating for us all to see.
It’s how Adolf “justified” invading Poland and the Czechs. It’s what Bush said before invading an innocent sovereign nation based on lies of WMD’s. And it is what Megaphone loudspeakers like panskeptic use to “justify” invading and attacking another innocent sovereign nation that has NEVER attacked Israel.
“One thing Israel won’t do, is determine its’ national priorities according to the cretins who spread their race hatred on this page.”
Someone is spreading something, panskeptic, and I believe you are Projecting along with your ad hominems. “Cretin” that, scumbag war monger.
“And if you can’t wait for the destruction of Israel, it would help if you could spell it.”
You see, that is where you are making your false assumption: Israel can thrive, or go straight to hell, no difference to me.
But as long as they come with their hands out, taking billions and advanced weaponry from the US, then use it on false pretenses to commit Genocide against their neighbors from whom they stole the land they call “Israel”, a non-existent mythical place without any archeological evidence, then we “cretins” will continue to point out their fallacies.
You have a nice day, panskeptic. You’re in the big leagues here, try again.
“US won’t stop Israel attack on Iran”
He said we have no right to “dictate” to a sovereign people.
He didn’t say, the US won’t stop Israel or that the US would stop Israel.
Your title is dishonest and I believe disingenuous.
Don’t be so sure of yourself…
Settlement Freeze Flap Reveals Israel As Difficult Peace Partner
Snip - “This surprising flare-up between the two close (I would say, too close) allies will undoubtedly be resolved with some diplomatic compromise, however, the brouhaha over the freeze may signify the first sign of possible problems ahead.”
[ http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/07/settlement-freeze-flap-reveals-israel-as-difficult-peace-partner/comment-page-1/ ]
“I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.”
–Barack Obama
Where do you think all the money went that had to be replaced with the ’stimulus package’? They are good to go. And with our free weapons too. Well ok, they weren’t free we payed for them.
If they actually ever go right ahead then good riddance, Israel & the MIC’s new world order is a bunch of fairy tale bullshit.
Israel will never be able to completely destroy Iran, Georgia, or any other “enemy” of Jerusalem.
We will get the Federal Reserve under a complete total audit….
They don’t have close to the resources they claim to have, in order to hold up this “military by force” New World Order……it’s destined to crumble..
therealnews . com
But then you’d know that….if you follow the real news…and whatever those religious books say about “revelations” & all the rest of that fun…
Only izrael and u.s. can threaten and bully with this level of arrogance.
But hey, we’re the remaining stupidpower and tel aviv is home of the
shitheads that call the shots (literally) in d.c. Gullibility thy name is america.
Mr. Biden, Sir,
ISRAEL is already an “EXISTENTIAL” threat.
The rogue (i.e. ‘uncontrolable’) regime of ISRAEL, while blatantly lying to the World about their development of nuclear capability, has stockpled more than 300 nuclear weapons, and has purchased from Germany the submarine capability to deliver there “WMD” anywhere on the planet.
These same ‘FRIENDS’ have threatened (and are now blatantly threatening) the World with Armageddon - and you are condoning their actions. Isn’t it enough that their recent FINANCIAL TERRORISM has already brought the World to the brink of economic disaster ?
The often misquoted Kohmeini statement:
“The Zionist Regime (Israel) will disappear from the sands of time”;
PALES IN COMPARISON with the statements of Professor Martin Creveld (a professor of military history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem) when he stated in January 2009:
“Our armed forces are not the thirtieth strongest in the world, but rather the second or third. We have the capability to take the world down with us. And I can assure you that this will happen before Israel goes under.”
WHO IS REALLY POSING THE EXISTENTIAL THREAT, SIR ?
Are you an ‘American’ or a ‘Zionist’ ? You can’t be both.
Bremer forgot that Iran is Shia but the Saudi’s are Sunni, which puts them at odds like the rebels and the blue coats during the U.S. Civil war.
Brother against brother does happen.
Just in case you may think that religious dogma is not important in this matter, like the Bush II gang did, it is important in an area of the world where religious fanaticism is the true race.
Another factor is that a major morph is taking place like what happened during the McNamara warster daze.
Just prepping the American Sheeple for the next contrived PR foreign-entanglement bogeyman in order to accomplish many things:
– Furnish the military-industrial complex with its next $10 trillion.
– Lead the US/Israeli electorates by the nose farther to the right in prep for 2010/2012 elections.
– Position US Oil companies to claim Iranian fields since the same mission’s been accomplished in Iraq.
– Ramp up the next Permanent Profiteering War (since Iraq’s been neutered/oil-raped and the CIA has control of the Afghan poppy fields).
Everything’s going exactly according to (PNAC) plans …